Heuchera plant named &#39;Frost&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Heuchera  plant characterized by small almost black leaves with silver veiling over all except reticulate vein pattern, spring leaves of dark purple with almost black veins, light pink flowers on short, dark flower stalks, a small, multi-crowned, low mounding habit, and excellent vigor.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

Heuchera hybrid

VARIETY DESIGNATION

‘Frost’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heucheraand given the cultivar name of ‘Frost’. Heuchera is in the familySaxifragaceae. Heuchera ‘Frost’ originated from a controlled crossbetween Heuchera K329-1, a proprietary non-commercial hybrid, as theseed parent, and Heuchera K210-4-1, a proprietary non-commercial hybrid,as the pollen parent.

Compared to the seed parent, Heuchera K329-1, the new cultivar has amuch smaller leaf and habit.

Compared to the pollen parent, Heuchera K210-4-1, the new cultivar has amuch smaller leaf and habit and purple to silver leaves rather than rosecolored leaves.

Compared to Heuchera ‘Shanghai’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,859, the newcultivar forms a lower mound that does not get “stemmy” over time, haslight pink rather than cream colored flowers, and has main veins thatare prominently dark rather than all the veins.

Compared to Heuchera ‘Sugar Berry’, U.S. Plant patent application Ser.No. ______, the new cultivar has smaller leaves, more reticulate darkveins, and leaf margins that are not slightly wavy. The spring leaves ofthe new cultivar are darker purple and more purple-colored.

This new Heuchera is uniquely distinguished by:

1. small almost black leaves with silver veiling over all exceptreticulate vein pattern,

2. spring leaves dark purple with almost black veins,

3. light pink flowers on short, dark flower stalks,

4. repeat blooming,

5. a small, multi-crowned, low mounding habit, and

6. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (tipcuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttingsand tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques withterminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that theforegoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and areestablished and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The presentinvention has not been evaluated under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may change with variations in environmentwithout a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a 15-month-old plant of Heuchera ‘Frost’ growing in a ½gallon pot in grown a cold greenhouse in late March in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows a nine-month-old plant of Heuchera ‘Frost’ growing in a ½gallon pot in a cool greenhouse in late September in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Heuchera cultivarbased on observations of 15-month-old specimens growing in ½ galloncontainers in a cold greenhouse in March in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degreesF. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfallin Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all basedon The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1999 edition, 5^(th)edition.

-   Plant:    -   -   Form.—basal rosette, herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.        -   Size.—17 cm tall from top of the foliage to the soil and 29            cm wide.        -   Habit.—mounding.        -   Vigor.—excellent.-   Leaf:    -   -   Type.—simple.        -   Arrangement.—rosette.        -   Shape.—broadly ovate to orbicular.        -   Lobing/division.—5 to 7 shallow lobes.        -   Venation.—palmate.        -   Margins.—crenate.        -   Apex.—mucronulate.        -   Base.—cordate.        -   Blade size.—grows to 9 cm long and 8.5 cm wide, most leaves            are grows to 6.5 cm long and 6 cm wide.        -   Texture.—supple.        -   Surface texture.—glandular on top and bottom side.        -   Petiole description.—grows to 10 cm long and 2 mm wide,            glandular hairs, Greyed Purple N187A.        -   Leaf color.—topside, new leaves in spring between Purple 79B            and Purple N77C with veins Black 203A, bottom side Purple            N79A; summer to winter leaves between Black 202B and 202C            with veins Black 203C, bottom side Purple N79A.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Size.—grows to 3.5 cm wide and 9 cm long.        -   Type.—thyrse.        -   Number of flowers per thyrse.—about 50.        -   Number of thyrse.—about 15 in the first spring flush,            reblooming all summer to frost.        -   Peduncle.—grows to 10 cm long, 1.5 mm wide at base, Purple            N77A, glandular hairs.        -   Pedicel.—variable in size, with glandular hairs, Purple            N77A.        -   Bloom period.—May through October in Canby, Oreg.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Size.—2 mm wide and 3 mm long.        -   Description.—glandular puberulent, ovoid, down facing.        -   Color.—Red Purple 70C on the bottom ⅓ and 69C on the top ⅔.-   Flower:    -   -   Type.—perfect.        -   Shape.—campanulate.        -   Size.—4 mm long and 5 mm wide.        -   Corolla description.—5 petals, 3 mm long and 0.4 mm wide,            spatulate, usually reflexed, margins entire, tip acute,            glabrous top and glandular on bottom, White NN155C.        -   Calyx description.—campanulate, 4 mm long and 6 mm wide,            with 5 lobes divided ⅔ way to the base, each 1.5 mm wide and            2.5 mm long, glandular hairs outside and inside, tips            obtuse, margin entire; color inside Red Purple 69C, outside            bottom ⅓ Red Purple 70C, top Red Purple 69C with center of            lobes tinted 70C.        -   Stamen description.—5 in number, filaments 2 mm long, White            NN155C, anthers 0.2 mm, Greyed Orange 179A, pollen none.        -   Pistil description.—1, 2-beaked, 4 mm long and 2 mm wide,            White NN155C overall; ovary 1.5 mm long and 2 mm wide, style            2.5 mm long.        -   Fragrance.—none.        -   Lastingness.—each thyrse blooms for about 3 weeks on the            plant.-   Fruit:    -   -   Type.—two-beaked ovoid capsule.        -   Fertility.—low.        -   Color.—Greyed Brown 199C.-   Seed:    -   -   Shape.—linear.        -   Size.—2 mm long.        -   Color.—Black 202A.-   Pest and disease tolerance: The new cultivar is typical to the    genus. No known resistances to pests or diseases. No problems have    been found in Canby, Oreg.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Heuchera plant as herein illustrated and described. 